سُوْرَةُ البَقَرَةِ
Surah Al-Baqara (2) — Ayah 246
أَلَمْ تَرَ إِلَى ٱلْمَلَإِ مِنۢ بَنِىٓ إِسْرَٰٓءِيلَ مِنۢ بَعْدِ مُوسَىٰٓ إِذْ قَالُوا۟ لِنَبِىٍّ لَّهُمُ ٱبْعَثْ لَنَا مَلِكًا نُّقَـٰتِلْ فِى سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ ۖ قَالَ هَلْ عَسَيْتُمْ إِن كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمُ ٱلْقِتَالُ أَلَّا تُقَـٰتِلُوا۟ ۖ قَالُوا۟ وَمَا لَنَآ أَلَّا نُقَـٰتِلَ فِى سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ وَقَدْ أُخْرِجْنَا مِن دِيَـٰرِنَا وَأَبْنَآئِنَا ۖ فَلَمَّا كُتِبَ عَلَيْهِمُ ٱلْقِتَالُ تَوَلَّوْا۟ إِلَّا قَلِيلًا مِّنْهُمْ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ عَلِيمٌۢ بِٱلظَّـٰلِمِينَ ﴿246﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
Have you not thought about the group of the Children of Israel after (the time of) Mûsâ (Moses)? When they said to a Prophet of theirs, "Appoint for us a king and we will fight in Allâh’s Way." He said, "Would you then refrain from fighting, if fighting was prescribed for you?" They said, "Why should we not fight in Allâh’s Way while we have been driven out of our homes and our children (families have been taken as captives)?" But when fighting was ordered for them, they turned away, all except a few of them. And Allâh is All-Aware of the Zâlimûn (polytheists and wrong-doers).
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
أَلَمْ
alam
Did not
تَرَ
tara
you see
إِلَى
ilā
[towards]
ٱلْمَلَإِ
l-mala-i
the chiefs
مِنۢ
min
of
بَنِىٓ
banī
(the) Children
إِسْرَٰٓءِيلَ
is'rāīla
(of) Israel
مِنۢ
min
from
بَعْدِ
baʿdi
after
مُوسَىٰٓ
mūsā
Musa
إِذْ
idh
when
قَالُوا۟
qālū
they said
لِنَبِىٍّۢ
linabiyyin
to a Prophet
لَّهُمُ
lahumu
of theirs
ٱبْعَثْ
ib'ʿath
Appoint
لَنَا
lanā
for us
مَلِكًۭا
malikan
a king
نُّقَـٰتِلْ
nuqātil
we may fight
فِى
fī
in
سَبِيلِ
sabīli
(the) way
ٱللَّهِ ۖ
l-lahi
(of) Allah
قَالَ
qāla
He said
هَلْ
hal
Would
عَسَيْتُمْ
ʿasaytum
you perhaps
إِن
in
if
كُتِبَ
kutiba
prescribed
عَلَيْكُمُ
ʿalaykumu
upon you
ٱلْقِتَالُ
l-qitālu
[the] fighting
أَلَّا
allā
that not
تُقَـٰتِلُوا۟ ۖ
tuqātilū
you fight
قَالُوا۟
qālū
They said
وَمَا
wamā
And what
لَنَآ
lanā
for us
أَلَّا
allā
that not
نُقَـٰتِلَ
nuqātila
we fight
فِى
fī
in
سَبِيلِ
sabīli
(the) way
ٱللَّهِ
l-lahi
(of) Allah
وَقَدْ
waqad
while surely
أُخْرِجْنَا
ukh'rij'nā
we have been driven
مِن
min
from
دِيَـٰرِنَا
diyārinā
our homes
وَأَبْنَآئِنَا ۖ
wa-abnāinā
and our children
فَلَمَّا
falammā
Yet, when
كُتِبَ
kutiba
was prescribed
عَلَيْهِمُ
ʿalayhimu
upon them
ٱلْقِتَالُ
l-qitālu
the fighting
تَوَلَّوْا۟
tawallaw
they turned away
إِلَّا
illā
except
قَلِيلًۭا
qalīlan
a few
مِّنْهُمْ ۗ
min'hum
among them
وَٱللَّهُ
wal-lahu
And Allah
عَلِيمٌۢ
ʿalīmun
(is) All-Knowing
بِٱلظَّـٰلِمِينَ
bil-ẓālimīna
of the wrongdoers
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim — Hafiz Abdus Salam Bin Muhammad Bhutvi
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim is a 4-volume Quran commentary by Hafiz Abdus Salam bin Muhammad Bhutvi, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar and Sheikh ul-Hadith from Pakistan. Based on over 45 years of teaching and research, this tafsir follows the methodology of Tafsir bil-Ma'thur — interpreting the Quran through authentic Hadith, statements of the Companions, and the understanding of the early generations (Salaf). It is distinguished by its complete avoidance of Israeliyyat (Judeo-Christian narratives) and unverified reports. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
(Ayah 246) ➊ {الْمَلَاِ :} This is from {’’ مَلَأَ يَمْلَأُ (ف) ‘‘}, meaning "to fill, to make full." The chiefs of a nation also fill eyes with their awe and majesty, that is why they are called {”مَلَأٌ“}.
➋ By starting from {”اَلَمْ تَرَ“}, the intention is to mention a strange story of the Children of Israel after Moses (peace be upon him): when, due to their cowardice and abandonment of jihad, they were expelled from their homeland, and their children and women were made slaves and maidservants, their chiefs requested the prophet of the time to appoint a king for them so that they could fight in the way of Allah. The prophet was aware of their temperament and habits; he said, "Consider well! When fighting is made obligatory upon you, you will not fight." They said, "Why would we not fight in the way of Allah, when we have been expelled from our homes and sons?" In the end, the prophet's assessment proved correct; only a few people remained to fight, but Allah Almighty granted them victory due to their steadfastness in jihad. The intention is to describe the loss of abandoning jihad, i.e., deprivation of homeland and kingdom, and the enslavement of family and children by the enemy, and also its remedy: that this lost honor cannot be regained in any way except through jihad. It is also understood from this that if Muslims fight to regain their homeland, this too is jihad in the way of Allah, because the word of Allah is lowered by the occupation of disbelievers over the land, and elevated by the occupation of Muslims. Some ignorant people, by calling the fight in Indian-occupied Kashmir a fight for homeland, deny its being fighting in the way of Allah; they should reflect on these verses.
➌ When fighting was made obligatory upon them, according to the prophet's apprehension, most people withdrew from the battle; this was their wrongdoing against themselves. In مَلَأٌ{”الظّٰلِمِيْنَ “}, the "al" is for specification, that is why the translation is "those wrongdoers."
➋ By starting from {”اَلَمْ تَرَ“}, the intention is to mention a strange story of the Children of Israel after Moses (peace be upon him): when, due to their cowardice and abandonment of jihad, they were expelled from their homeland, and their children and women were made slaves and maidservants, their chiefs requested the prophet of the time to appoint a king for them so that they could fight in the way of Allah. The prophet was aware of their temperament and habits; he said, "Consider well! When fighting is made obligatory upon you, you will not fight." They said, "Why would we not fight in the way of Allah, when we have been expelled from our homes and sons?" In the end, the prophet's assessment proved correct; only a few people remained to fight, but Allah Almighty granted them victory due to their steadfastness in jihad. The intention is to describe the loss of abandoning jihad, i.e., deprivation of homeland and kingdom, and the enslavement of family and children by the enemy, and also its remedy: that this lost honor cannot be regained in any way except through jihad. It is also understood from this that if Muslims fight to regain their homeland, this too is jihad in the way of Allah, because the word of Allah is lowered by the occupation of disbelievers over the land, and elevated by the occupation of Muslims. Some ignorant people, by calling the fight in Indian-occupied Kashmir a fight for homeland, deny its being fighting in the way of Allah; they should reflect on these verses.
➌ When fighting was made obligatory upon them, according to the prophet's apprehension, most people withdrew from the battle; this was their wrongdoing against themselves. In مَلَأٌ{”الظّٰلِمِيْنَ “}, the "al" is for specification, that is why the translation is "those wrongdoers."
